HICS Reunion was Great!

Well, the HICS Reunion is over and was Super! If you weren't there you missed a great time!!!!! The Best Western Heritage Inn did a Wonderful job with rooms, meals, everything. The turnout was quite good, about 93 folks.

Dave Spell was the MC and did a excellent job. We had the Malmstrom AFB Wing Chaplain, Keith Muschinske give the Invocation and his wife Paula also attended. Congratulations to the raffle winners. Jeff Blomgren won the second prize, a Garmon GPS; and Col. Jim Cowan (Ellsworth Comm. Sq. Cmdr., late 70’s) won the first prize of a Dell Laptop and Epson Printer, which he is graciously donating to a Veterans Rehab Facility. Thanks a lot Jim!

I don‘t like to single people out for recognition because inevitably somebody is forgotten. This time I feel I have to mention some folks that helped considerably. I want to thank the following people for their special involvement and assistance, if I forgot anyone I am very sorry! Don Flint, Dave and Alana Spell, Jeff and Shari Blomgren, Dale and Diane Fairbanks and Diane French. Thank You All Very Much! I also want to express my gratitude to the people that had the courage to get up and speak: Jim Cowan, Alan Davis, Marty Martinez, Ben Ross and Dale Fairbanks. In addition thanks to the Heritage Inn Staff: Catering Director, Julie Storrusten, Assistant Catering Director, Elisha Ruiz and their staff were instrumental in making the Reunion a success. Certificates of Appreciation have been sent to the Catering Director and staff, and the Reception Desk personnel.

A lot of photo's were taken and I need a copy for possible inclusion into the Memory Book. If you ordered a Memory Book it will probably be three to four months before those are sent out, the proof packages were sent out Sep 16. If you would like to check the status yourselves or order a book you can call Ruth at Classic Reunions, 800-334-6388.

We have changed who we are looking for from just HICS Troops to anyone that was affiliated with the HICS Shop (ie: Commanders, MCCS, Missile Radio, SACCS, Maintenance Control, etc.). I have been trying along with many, many others to locate as many troops as possible and we can use all the help we can get. If you locate someone, let me know and I’ll get the Reunion info to them. E-mail is best!

For those of you that couldn’t attend our Awesome Reunion, you have a chance to attend a better one during late June 2011, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Guarantee you will have a VERY GOOD TIME!!!! In late Oct 2008 I’m going to Rapid City for a Reunion Coordinators Meeting and I will be checking out three Hotels for the next Reunion. I’m also checking into some bus tours to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, the Badlands and the infamous Wall Drugstore. I hope to see a lot more people in Rapid City! Thanks for everything!

Sincerely,
Rick French
rd_draft@comcast.net